The Effect of Otago Exercise Program on Physical Function and Fall Prevention in Disabled Elderly

This study compared how falls can be reduced in disabled elderly people by using the Otago exercise program and ascertained the program's effects on physical function and psychological recovery. The subjects were 30 people, and were assigned to two groups. The experimental group had 17 people, and the other was the control group that had 13 people. The experimental group attended the 50-minute program twice a week for 12 weeks. The outcome measures for lower extremity muscle strength, postural balance, flexibility, and self-efficacy were tested at the pre-test and post-test phases. In the analysis, general characteristics were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Physical function and self-efficacy were analyzed by independent T-test between the two groups, and correspondence T-tests were used within the two groups. The result of this study demonstrated that the experimental group showed significant increases in lower extremity muscle strength, static balance, flexibility and dynamic balance, and self-efficacy showed a small increase in the experimental group. But the control group showed significant decreases in static balance, flexibility and fall efficacy. The control group also showed decreases in lower extremity strength and dynamic balance. So the results of this study proved that the Otago exercise program brought about positive changes to improve physical function and psychological function to help prevent disabled elderly people from falling.